A novel nonenzymatic biosensor for evaluation of oxidative stress based on nanocomposites of graphene blended with CuI

A high-sensitive nonenzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) biosensor based on cuprous iodide and graphene (CuI/Gr) composites has been explored for the detection of H2O2 released by living cells and monitoring the oxidative stress of cells under excellular stimulation. The biosensor properties were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), amperometric i-t curve, and the redox-competition mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Our observations demonstrate that the CuI/Gr nanocomposites modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibits excellent catalytic activity for H2O2 with relatively low detection limit and a wide linear range from 0.5 μM to 3 mM. Moreover, the redox-competition mode of SECM imaging study further illustrates the improved electrochemical catalytic capability for H2O2 reduction with CuI/Gr nanocomposites deposited on graphite electrode. Hence, the as-prepared nonenzymatic H2O2 biosensor could be used to detect H2O2 release from different kinds of living cells under stimulation while eliminating the interference of ascorbic acid.